A Guide to Summary Descriptions: For POC and EOC
by Evanescence2189
Summary: CALLING ALL CHRONICLES OF NARNIA OC AUTHORS. CALLING ALL CHRONICLES OF NARNIA OC AUTHORS. Sisters, friends…suethors…lend me your ears, and learn how to write a summary description.


**Summary: CALLING ALL CHRONICLES OF NARNIA OC AUTHORS. CALLING ALL CHRONICLES OF NARNIA OC AUTHORS. Sisters, friends…suethors…lend me your ears, and learn how to write a summary description.**

_**Warning**_**: For my bad mouth. Sorry, I tend to talk like a sailor when ridiculous people agitate me. Know that I was holding back. **

**A lot… **

**I'm now looking back and marveling at my restraint.**

* * *

><p><em>~A Guide to Summary Descriptions: For POC and E/OC Authors~_

All right, to get this started, I would just like to say…you all depress me. I'm not intending to offend anyone, however inevitable it is in this site. Don't worry. I'm not insulted that you are. But the romance archives are a sad sight to behold. I went through the entire Romance archive for our favorite Pevensie brothers, Peter and Edmund, and let me say that only a few pieces interested me. Why is this, one may ask? Well, from observation, my own personal experience, and common sense, I can tell you that most readers will read your story if, and only if:

The story title grabs their attention

The story summary holds their interest long enough to click on your story

The reader is hooked within the first couple paragraphs

But first and foremost, the title must grab one's attention. I know I said this was a guide to summary descriptions, but the former leads to the latter. You must intentionally lure the reader toward your van with your title, then grab him by the throat and pull him in with your summary…and shut the door for good measure. _Not_ like this:

"_Edmund and [Insert OC Name Here] One-shot" by Forevergrl123_

…That was purely of my imagination, but is an example of some of what I'm seeing. Another is the overuse of the original book titles, or expanding upon thereof.

"_Chronicles of Narnia: The Crystal Guardian_"

Or…

"_The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Rise of the Crystal Guardian_"

Highly unoriginal. Also, long-ass titles that give away the entire story…not your best bet.

"_A Way Back into Love for the High King Peter_" _By Forevergrl123_ …Complete with summary.

_Peter's depressed by his lack of love life. He just needs a way back into love. Maybe with his childhood friend, Ashley? Read to find out._

Pitiful. Just pitiful that this is some of the shit I'm seeing.

Here's another tip of advice: do not include your OC's full name (or title of rank, ect.) within the title, and if you can, within the summary as well. I will admit that I am guilty of the latter. In fact, I'll use it as an example of what you should _try_ to avoid, if possible.

_Alexa Williams is an ordinary girl in a country where war is getting a bit too close to home, and she's sick of it. She thinks she'll get a semblance of peace in the home of Digory Kirke...but she was dead wrong._

Now, this description is for the first fic in my _Chronicles of Narnia_ series, _Rising Above_. It isn't _terrible garbage_, but it could use tweaking. Instead, try this:

_For those searching to find themselves, hope began in a modest professor's home on the countryside._

At the end, you may tag a Peter/OC or Ed/OC or whatever the hell it is that you're shipping (if you are at all). This will be the only element the reader has to go on as to the contents of your story. Less is more. Do NOT give away the entire damn plotline in the summary, or they won't make it past the summary.

This is noticeably a better fix, you see. It leaves more to the imagination, and makes the reader, at the very least, wonder what the story is about that they will actually look and see the first chapter. The previous description _might_ elicit the same reaction. However, they may read that and think, "that's just another pointless suefic," as that is how most suefics begin…

Sorry for the hundred raging fangirl "writers" (if they can be called as such) bubbles I just popped with that _rash_ comment. Now I'm not excluding myself _completely_, for even my OC stories have _some_ sueish currents (it's unavoidable with writing OC fics, really). So I have _some_ sympathy.

I said _some_, calm yourself. For those of you giving me the Glare of Death if you think I'm calling you a suethor because your work happens to match up with the points I've brought up, just untighten your ass a bit, I'm not trying to attack you personally.

I'm tired of the same kinds of summaries, which is why I usually breeze over most of them. If a summary happens to go along this train of thought:

"_[Insert OC Name Here] goes to stay with Professor Kirke because...he's a relative of some sort…he's a family friend…_" (I've seen so many of these in the summary it makes me wanna puke)

"_[Insert OC Name Here] gets stuck with the Pevensies when they go to Narnia_…" (…Yawn)

_Peter/Edmund hasn't been paying attention to his love life because of his kingly duties…blah, blah, blah…but what of his heart? Blah, blah, blah_…" (Something of that sort)

You get the idea. Next point: pointless questions. If you put one or more questions in a summary, ask yourself; can I answer this question without even reading the story? Usually, _yes_.

_The High King has been given responsibilities and duties that always keep him busy. But what of his heart? Can he find true love before the end of this story? _Why yes. Yes he most probably will.

Or a variant of my personal favorite.

_Rachel is sick and tired of her lonely, loveless, worthless life, and isn't sure if she can keep on going. But when she meets the Pevensies and ends up in a strange new world, can she find something, or someone, to believe in? Will she find worth and happiness in love?_

Shit, I hope not. That'll screw up my plans to enjoy life later.

Notice that I'm not even getting into suefics, just their summaries. You can tell the difference between a well thought-out fic, one that may be worth your time, and ones that are sue by their titles and summaries. They are especially apparent in Chronicles of Narnia romance archives, sadly enough. I've done my best to anti-sue my work. Really, just avoiding a few overused lines here and there will make a difference. And remember what I said about titles: short and simple, preferably clever. "The New Queen of Narnia" doesn't count as clever, nor does anything with "Guardian" or "Protector" in the title.

So let's recap.

…Nah, just kidding.

If you need to go over it again, just read this from the top, lazy asses.

Why should I do all the work?

Love,

E2189

**Let me know if this was helpful at all. I don't really **_**plan**_** to do more of these **_**per say**_**, but when the opportunity strikes me, I might just decide to sit down and write about three or four pages of me babbling on about stuff in fanfiction (specifically CON archives) that annoys the living hell out of me.**

**Merry Christmas, everyone! :D**


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